Year Round Bird Feeding Regime

If there is one question that comes up regularly in conversations or emails about bird feeding it is "should I feed the birds in summer as well as winter or just the winter months when food is scarce?"

When asking this question part of the concern is whether we humans are making the birds reliant upon our feeding them and taking away their natural instinct to find food. I have been feeding the birds in my garden in summer and winter for many years. There are and have been several characters that are distinctive in my garden, and yes been given names, that are easy to watch their activity. Certainly I can say that my friends welcome the additional food that I put out for them but it is just that, additional food. They do not queue up outside my back door waiting for me to get up and out there to provide their meals for the day. Although it does seem a bit like that sometimes with my old blackbird friend Speckles!

If you have ever visited Slimbridge Wetland Centre you will know how much supplementary feed is used there. If it was not the thing to do then Slimbridge would not do it.

Here are some ideas for seasonal feeding.

Spring and Summer

Only selected foods should be fed at this time and good hygiene is vital, or feeding may do more harm than good.

During the summer months birds require high protein foods, especially while they are moulting.

Black sunflower seeds, pinhead oatmeal, soaked sultanas, raisins and currants, mild grated cheese, mealworms, waxworms, mixes for insectivorous birds, good seed mixtures without loose peanuts, food bars and summer seed mixture can all be used.

Soft apples and pears cut in half, bananas and grapes are also useful foods. Some people use soaked dog or cat food and tinned pet foods, but these may attract magpies, crows and cats.

Avoid using peanuts, fat and bread at this time, since these foods can be harmful if brought to nestlings. If you feel you must put out peanuts, only do so in suitable mesh feeders that will not allow sizeable pieces of peanuts to be removed.

Home-made fatballs can go soft and rancid in warm summer weather, and should be avoided. Commercially produced fat bars are suitable for summer feeding but discard any remains after 3 weeks.

Temporary food shortage can occur at almost any time of the year, and if this happens during the breeding season, extra food on the bird table can make a big difference to the survival of young.

Birds time their breeding period to exploit the availability of natural foods, in the case of blackbirds and song thrushes, earthworms; in the case of tits and chaffinches, caterpillars. It is now known that if the weather turns cold or wet during the spring or summer months, severe shortage of insect food can occur, and if the weather is exceptionally dry, earthworms will be unavailable to the ground feeders because of the hard soil.

If food shortage occurs whilst birds have young in the nest they may be tempted by easy food put on bird tables to make up the shortfall in natural food. This is initially to feed themselves but if the situation gets bad enough they will also take the food to the nest. If the food offered on bird tables is not suitable for the young chicks it can do more harm than good and can even be lethal to the chicks as they can choke on the food. It can be difficult for a human to gauge when food shortage in the wild occurs and so it is best not to put out food that is likely to create problems during the breeding season. Therefore, never put out loose peanuts, dry hard foods, large chunks of bread or fats during the spring or summer months.

Autumn and Winter

Put out food and water on a regular basis. In severe weather, feed twice daily if possible: in the morning and in the early afternoon. Birds require high energy (high fat) foods during the cold winter weather. They need to maintain their body reserves to survive the frosty nights. Use only good quality food and scraps. Always adjust the quantity given to the demand, and never allow uneaten foods to accumulate around the feeders. Once you establish a feeding routine, try not to change it.

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